Chapter 222: Simulation Deduction and Mental Health

Subsequent simulation deduction...

It seemed that if this round of simulation became reality, the resulting impact would be far more severe than imagined.

Ansu selected 【Yes】.

Upon his selection, the scene before his eyes changed abruptly.

The collision of holy light and magic caused a terrifying force to tear through the dome, and the castle collapsed amidst the roaring sound.

Even the heavens were torn asunder by these two forces, with half the sky shrouded in gloomy darkness while the other half was bathed in pale holy light...

【Deduction Ending】

【Driven by bone-deep hatred and intense self-destructive emotions, Freya triggered God-Descent. The Spear of Judgment, condensed from holy light, heavily wounded Celia.】

【However, her body rapidly withered as it exceeded its capacity. Celia, relying on her peak combat instincts, seized an opportunity in her desperate situation to kill Freya.】

【The holy light was extinguished, and Freya's body turned into fine motes of light in your arms, gradually dissipating.】

【This abnormal eruption of holy light drew the gaze of the Goddess of Holy Light. The deity caught a glimpse of the potential threat from Celia and the feigned compliance of the Chosen One...】

【The death of the Holy Maiden became an unbridgeable rift that would forever lie between you and Celia.】

【In the years that followed, the two of you remained entangled in a painful and twisted love, tormenting each other as you both slid toward a dark and unpredictable future...】

The final scene froze in place.

This was indeed a suffocating Bad End.

...

【Reward: 150 points】

【Remaining Points: 228】

All system prompts slowly faded, and the images before his eyes finally dissipated.

Ansu remained silent for a long time. He certainly did not want to move toward that outcome, nor would he allow himself to achieve such a bad ending.

Therefore, he made a solemn decision in his heart.

It was time to pay proper attention to the little Holy Maiden's mental health...

Ansu rubbed the bridge of his nose. He did not want Freya to blacken, or at least... he could not let her reach the end through self-destruction as she had in the simulation.

As he was lost in thought...

A soft knock suddenly came from the door, followed by Freya's gentle and slightly worried voice.

"Lord Ansu... are you asleep?"

"Ever since you came back from the lab, you've kept yourself locked in your room. I keep hearing you sighing..."

She paused, her tone lifting slightly as she tried to comfort him.

"I think... it's not that serious! Haven't we already researched the basic runes? Even if Novalon really can't accommodate mages in the future, we can move somewhere else. Things will always get better~"

Listening to her, Ansu smiled silently. Freya was always so optimistic, always wanting to shine a light on others.

He walked forward and slowly opened the door.

Freya, clearly not expecting the door to open so suddenly, lost her balance as she had been leaning forward to eavesdrop.

She let out a soft cry, and seeing this, Ansu immediately supported her.

"Ah!" Freya steadied herself and looked up at Ansu, who was inches away. Her cheeks flushed as she explained, "Sorry, Lord Ansu, I..."

She quickly regained her composure. "Oh, right! Lord Ansu, are you hungry? I noticed you didn't eat dinner on time... Should I go prepare something?"

Ansu looked at her. At this moment, Freya's smile was gentle and serene, a world away from the hysterical girl in the simulation.

With a silent sigh, he suddenly asked back, "Are you hungry?"

"Huh?" Freya was stunned for a moment, then honestly shook her head. "I already... ate with Vera."

"Oh, is that so?" Ansu shrugged with feigned regret. "I was thinking that if you hadn't eaten either, I could go to the kitchen myself and make you something delicious."

Before he could finish—

"I'm hungry!" Freya changed her tune almost instantly, nodding repeatedly. "I might have had a poor appetite back then and didn't eat enough! So... I'm hungry again now!"

After saying it, she seemed to feel the excuse was a bit clumsy, and her cheeks grew even redder.

"So your appetite is better now?" Ansu could not help but laugh. The little Holy Maiden still needed to work on her lying skills...

Thus, Ansu led Freya to the kitchen in the manor, with Freya following behind with sparkling eyes.

The kitchen was spacious and clean, stocked with an abundance of ingredients.

Ansu rolled up his sleeves, and after a moment of thought, he skillfully selected a few ingredients and began to prep them.

The fire was lit, the iron pot heated up, and the oil made a faint, enticing sizzle.

Freya leaned quietly against the doorframe, her gaze following Ansu's movements. She watched the efficiency with which he chopped the vegetables and the profile of his face illuminated by the stove fire, her lips unconsciously curving upward.

Lord Ansu is cooking for me~

This is wonderful.

About ten minutes later, two steaming bowls of mushroom and egg noodle soup were placed on the wooden table next to the kitchen.

The clear broth, tender mushrooms, and eggs were simple, yet the aroma was mouth-watering.

The kitchen was filled with the inviting steam of food and a faint sense of warmth that belonged only to the two of them.

"Try it," Ansu said with a smile.

"Okay!" Freya took the bowl, carefully blew on it, and then took a small slurp of the noodles. Her eyes immediately squinted into crescents of happiness.

"Lord Ansu! It's delicious!"

Ansu sat down as well, and the two of them quietly ate their simple midnight snack under the dim, warm light.

Halfway through the meal, as if suddenly remembering something, Ansu spoke casually:

"Oh, right, Freya."

"Is there... anything else you particularly want to eat? Or something you especially like, or a place you really want to visit? Anything at all." As he spoke, Ansu added an explanation, "I just suddenly wanted to ask, nothing more than that..."

Caring for the little Holy Maiden's mental health had to start with the small things.

However, the moment the words left his mouth, he felt asking such things was a bit strange.

It felt like he was asking for a bucket list...

Freya was startled. She put down her utensils, tilted her head slightly, and began to think seriously.

"There is..." She closed her eyes, a faint smile on her face, her voice like a whisper in a dream. "I want to go for a walk by the river on the outskirts of the city with Lord Ansu on a sunny day. I heard the water there is very clear and you can see the little fish... I quite like seeing schools of fish swimming in the water."

"Also, I want to sit on a park bench at the academy with Lord Ansu, watching the students come and go with their books, listening to them discuss teachers or complain about too much homework... It feels so full of youthful energy~"

She opened her eyes, a trace of faint regret flitting through them. "Last time, I finally managed to transfer to the Benalu Royal Academy and fulfill my wish of being classmates with Lord Ansu, but we were only classmates for one day. It's such a shame!"

Freya thought for a bit more, the smile on her lips deepening, this time with a hint of playfulness.

"I also want to... taste more of your cooking. As long as you're the one making it, everything seems delicious."

After finishing, Freya gazed at Ansu with a soft smile.

All these wishes... actually had a prerequisite: Ansu had to be by her side.

When he was there, she felt happy no matter what they did.

Ansu listened quietly.

Her wishes were so simple they were almost humble. There were no world-shaking dreams, only small, warm daily aspirations involving him.

"Alright," Ansu nodded, his tone as solemn as a promise. "Once we're through this busy period and the weather is good, we'll go!"

"Okay!" Freya's smile bloomed under the light, as bright as a flower opening in the early spring sun.

But as she thought about it...

She suddenly blinked and tilted her head in confusion. "By the way, Lord Ansu... why are you suddenly so concerned about me today?"

She did find it strange. After all, not long ago... everyone in the lab had been cheering for the breakthrough in the purification rune.

The atmosphere then had been incredibly exciting, and she had even seen Lord Ansu and Celia embracing tightly and baring their hearts to each other over their shared achievement...

Although that scene had left a subtle bitterness in her heart, she was indeed happy for them.

She hadn't expected Lord Ansu to still be looking out for her feelings... but she felt she hadn't been much help to the team.

Ansu looked at the oblivious Freya, whose eyes were still clear, and spoke half-jokingly, "It's nothing. I was just worried you'd be in a bad mood and blacken."

"Huh?" Freya was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Blacken? How could that be possible! Vera even teased me today, saying I'm like a little sun, practically itching to radiate light and heat wherever I go... Lord Ansu, don't make jokes like that~"

"Oh..." Ansu pursed his lips, noncommittal.

Before today, I wouldn't have believed the little Holy Maiden could blacken either...